Sokkla Week 2013
by InsanityRunsInMyBlood
Summary: Seven days of my OTP, darlings! Here's to our favourite badass girl and the comic relief guy who turned out to be quite brilliant in the end.
1. Comfort

Sokkla Week Day 1: Comfort

Azula sat on the steps of the coronation plaza, gazing at the grounds that once hosted an overpowered, overemotional Agni Kai.

_She sent a huge blast of fire his way, flipping in mid-air and letting the flame blossom towards Zuko, but her brother intercepted the move, parting it down the middle to form two symmetric blasts that bypassed him. _

The symmetry of the move gave it away as a waterbending technique. Azula pursed her lips, thinking of the waterbender that had beaten her in the end. It hurt her to think that her brother would end up marrying the girl who had shamed and humiliated her. Once Katara becomes Fire Lady, she would be in a higher position than Azula…and once her brother has an heir…she would be worthless.

_Zuko blasted fireball after fireball, missing her as she jetted around him in a circle. As she approached furiously, he lowered himself and kicked out, his fire sweeping out toward her. It tripped her, and she went flipped through the air, hitting the ground multiple times before rolling to a halt, pain wracking her body. Her hair had become undone, and the strands fell into her face. She struggled up, panting, vision hazy._

"_No lightning today?" Zuko taunted. "What's the matter, afraid I'll redirect it?" He got into the stance she had seen Iroh take, once._

_Physical and emotional pain roiled together and she snarled, "oh, I'll show you _lightning_!"_

She remembered the smell of ozone as the bright bluish white electricity arced, crackled, and hissed around her, waiting to be unleashed. She remembered how painful it had felt, not the usual cold and precise blast, but a maelstrom of emotions barring the flawless execution of the perfected art.

_Yin and yang separated, and power filled her veins. Her head pounded as the lightning singed and burnt her, giving her a warning to send it off before it backfired and exploded in her face._

_She looked at Zuko with narrowed eyes, and vaguely registered his stance._

_She looked into his enraged golden eyes._

_She couldn't do it. No matter how much she hated him…or how much she wanted him to die…she couldn't do it by her own hands. She could leave him to father, or let him drown in the hot water at the Boiling Rock, but she couldn't finish him off herself._

_The lightning spat at her, and she squinted with pain._

_She glanced sideways._

_The waterbender stood at the ready._

_She pulled the lightning together and sent it straight towards the girl, relieving herself of the raw energy, and finding a target she would not regret harming._

Azula drew her knees up and hugged her legs, seeing the scene happen in front of her as if she was watching it as an outsider.

_The rest faded into a blur, and Azula let the overwhelming emotions and the insanity of power take her over. It was easier that way._

She saw herself charging at Katara, mad laughter spilling from her lips, and cringed, tears filling her eyes. She held them in stubbornly.

_There was blue everywhere, the harsh colour lighting up the orange skies. She was a machine, driven by hate and hurt, unleashing her fury upon the waterbender._

All she remembered afterwards was the feeling of water enclosing her…the feeling of _drowning_. She couldn't remember the rest of the battle, just that somehow Katara managed to beat her and chain her up.

She remembered spewing fire like a wild beast, screaming and crying, and the tears flowed down her face. Her breath hitched, and a sob tore out of her throat.

_She didn't know how long she kneeled on the cold grate, wet and miserable, her hands still behind her back, making her shoulders ache._

Footsteps greeted her ears, and she sniffled, wiping her tears on her sleeves.

_She heard someone walking her way._

"Azula…" A masculine voice said softly.

"_Azula." The voice was familiar. Her eyes widened. Wasn't it…what's his name…Sokka?_

"_What do you want?" She rasped, her voice hoarse from all the screaming. It was him. His sister beat her. He was involved in the Boiling Rock breakout._

"What?" She mumbled. The man in blue sat down next to her.

"_Are you alright?" Sokka's voice was hesitant. Azula looked up and met blue eyes, the same shade as Katara's wrathful ones. She shrunk back unconsciously, her mind replaying the way the water robbed her of all her air._

_He walked around her and put a hand on her shackles._

"_I'm going to free you of this, okay? But don't do anything." He warned._

_Azula slumped, too tired to argue. Her knees ached as well, and her back hurt from this position. "Alright." She whispered defeatedly. Even if she wanted to bend…she was too worn out. Sozin's Comet had passed, leaving her feeling drained and tired—wanting to collapse into her bed and sleep._

"Whacha thinkin' about?" Sokka asked casually. Azula didn't respond.

_When the chains finally fell off, she tried to haul herself up, onto to fall back down on the metal grate, bruising her cheek. She cried out involuntarily, and gritted her teeth. She placed her hands on the grate, pushing herself up, and gasped when a pair of hands gripped her waist and pulled her up._

"Come on, Azu." Sokka said softly, seeing her wet eyes. "Don't think about it too much." He put an arm around her shoulder.

_She flushed. "Get off me." She snarled._

Azula blushed a lovely shade of red. "I'm not." She denied.

"It's obvious you were thinking about the battle." Sokka said.

"I'm thinking about what happened _after _the battle." Azula informed him with a watery smile. "I still haven't said thank you." She said softly.

"_Just trying to help." Sokka said, righting her. "Look, I don't know what they're going to do to you after this, but Katara voted in favour of putting you in prison with your father."_

_Azula didn't speak._

"_Zuko voted that, too." He said quietly._

"_Of course." Azula said, taking a step forward to nowhere. He caught her arm._

"_Aang and I voted for house-arrest." He said. Azula turned in surprise. The corner of his lips tugged up. "The vote had to be unanimous. They didn't think anyone would vote otherwise." He was smiling now._

"You don't need to." Sokka said, picking her up. She yelped as he dumped her in his lap. "I got my reward." He said, pecking her lips. Azula looked away, blushing again.

"Sokka…" She said. "Why…why did you…what do you even see in me?" She asked.

"_But…why?" Azula asked, completely befuddled. "Don't you remember what I did to you at the Boiling Rock?"_

_Sokka's face tightened. "I do." He said. "But I have to learn to forgive. Just as my sister accepted Zuko, I'll learn to accept you."_

"_You have no reason to." Azula said._

"You were just a girl." Sokka said. "Lost, confused…unloved." He said, gauging her reaction. She smiled wearily. "You were betrayed by your closest friends…used by your father…"

She laid her head on his chest and he wrapped his arms around her.

"But now I'm here, Azula. I love you. I fell in love with you when you opened up to me…when you showed me that you were more than what everyone saw you as." He said, wiping the last of the moisture in her eyes carefully. "And that's enough for me."

"_Maybe I don't." Sokka regarded her quietly._

She smiled at him. "I love you too, Sokka." She kissed him again. "Thanks for taking care of me."

"_But give me one."_

And she did.


	2. Sunset

Sokka Week Day 2: Sunset

Sitting on the porch swing, Sokka looked out to the glittering ocean, at the beautiful Fire Nation sunset. He smiled, and coughed slightly into his handkerchief. Blood coated the red cloth, blending in. He sighed, glancing to his side. The hanging bench had space for two, and yet the other spot was empty. His gaze turned sad, remembering the first sunset he saw from their house on Ember Island.

"_Isn't it beautiful?" She asked with a wistful tone in her voice. Sokka looked at his wife curiously, wrapping an arm around her waist. "This whole coast…on this side of the island the people can see the spectacular sunset every dusk." She explained. "See the summer house there?" Azula gestured at the distant house of the royals. "My family used to come here every summer." She said, repeating Zuko's words from before. "We used to sit on the porch just like this, and just watch the sun go down."_

"_Romantic." Sokka commented, bringing her closer to him._

"_Of course, Zuko and I were always too active to watch it with mother and father." Azula said. "We ran around the house and the garden, sometimes at the beach, while dad and mom sat there." She looked up at him. "Just like us."_

_Sokka looked uncomfortable. "Your dad actually loved your mom?" He asked. Azula nodded, putting her head on his shoulder._

"_A long time ago." She murmured softly. "My father loved my mother. It was hard to miss in the looks they used to share." She said, a hand going to touch the necklace Zuko had given her a year ago, stating that it was Ursa's wish that Azula should have it when she turned twenty-one. "My father gave this to my mother on their wedding day." She said, clasping the entwined dragons. The charm lay slightly below Sokka's hand-carved one. Her hand moved to the smooth blue stone which held a simple flame, symbolic due to the fact that Azula's fire was blue. Sokka smiled down at her, kissing her forehead._

"_That's scarily similar to our situation…and here I thought the betrothal necklace was a tribal tradition." He laughed. Azula grinned slightly._

"_It is similar, not only because of that." She said, leaning up to kiss him on the lips. "Mother was devoted to father, and father loved her more than anything…even his honour, firebending, or pride." She said. "And he never stopped loving her."_

"_Just as I'll never stop loving you." Sokka compared._

"_And I you." Azula nodded. "But this is where we differ." Azula said. "I would never leave you…not for the world." She said. "I finally found someone who can love me unconditionally…and I'm not letting you go." She smiled._

"_I wouldn't have it any other way."_

_For the rest of the evening until sundown, they sat in a comfortable silence, watching the glittering orange and gold water and the beautiful pink and purple sky._

Sokka's eyes reflected the golden glitter of the water once again, imagining her dark gold eyes laughing at his sentimentality.

"I can't believe it's been five years already." A tear slipped out of his eye. "I always thought I'd go before you, you know?" He laughed slightly. "You just always seemed so strong…" He whispered, looking at the small part of the sun that was still above the horizon. The sky was rapidly turning dark purple, fading into a cosmic blue.

He saw the sun descend further and further until all light was gone, and the stars shone in the dark as the full moon rose.

"Yue…" Sokka whispered. "Look after her for me, will you?" He pleaded. The moon glowed just a bit brighter after his statement, and he knew she heard his prayer. "Thank you." He said.

He stood, old bones creaking wearily, and walked back inside slowly. He knew he did not have too long to live either. If he could use the sun to describe his life, then he would be rapidly disappearing below the ocean right now, at the last stages of setting.

"I miss you, Azula."

That night, Sokka passed on peacefully, finally rejoining his beloved girl with the fierce golden eyes so much like the sunsets they loved.


	3. Massage

Sokkla Week Day 3: Massage

"The princess requires your service." A handmaiden informed him. Sokka's eyes widened. This was his chance. His palms began to sweat.

"To do what?" He asked. The handmaiden looked at him strangely.

"Oh, you must be new." She smiled. "No worries, all you have to do is to give the princess a massage." She said. Sokka's face flushed red.

"W-what?" He squeaked.

"You haven't been debriefed?" The handmaiden raised an eyebrow. "Well now you have. And don't mess it up. I heard if you do good she'll lead you to the back room." She laughed, winking, and walked away.

Sokka gulped, looking at the imposing doors to the spa.

"_Alright, the plan is as follows," Sokka started. "I'll infiltrate the palace as a servant and distract Azula while Zuko leads the others through the secret passages to face Ozai."_

"_That's a very simple plan." Toph commented._

"_And a disaster waiting to happen." Katara growled. "Sokka, was this the best you could come up with?"_

"_The best under pressure and a time limit!" Sokka retorted. "Would you rather face Ozai during the Comet?"_

"_No. We can't. Both him and Azula would be far too powerful during the comet." Zuko shook his head. "This is our best chance, straight after the invasion and breakout. They won't be expecting another attack."_

"_I don't like it, but it's worth a shot." Aang said grimly._

"_But Sokka…" Suki protested. "You're no match for her." She looked worried. Sokka pulled her into a hug and kissed her lightly._

"_I know, but I'll survive." He said. "I'll come back, for you." He smiled._

He didn't know if he could keep that promise. He took a deep breath, donned a smile, and pushed the doors open.

He _definitely _did not expect the sight he was greeted with.

A naked Azula lay on her stomach on a table, a red silk cloth draped over her bottom. Her head rested on one side so that golden eyes regarded him. No hint of recognition passed through her eyes. Sokka sighed with relief internally, thanking Katara and Suki for the transformation using their makeup. After their close encounter during the invasion he could not afford to take any chances. He still looked like a water tribesman, but his features were altered due to the tones of the makeup.

"Well? What are you just standing there for?" Azula's familiar low, silky voice invaded his thoughts.

"Sorry, princess." He said, lowering his voice. He walked over to where she lay, and saw the pots of scented oil beside a few flickering candles. Rose petals were scattered everywhere, giving the room a nice smell.

He was screwed—he had no idea what to do.

"So…you're new." She eyed him interestedly. "Your skin's quite dark." She noted. Sokka swallowed.

"I was brought in as a slave from the Southern Water Tribe, princess." He said.

"Oh, that's why you look so exotic." She mused. "Well, all you have to do is pour the oil over my back and start the massage." She said. "It'd better be good."

"Of course, princess." Sokka's voice betrayed none of his nervousness. He picked up the oil and dripped it on her back carefully until it was smoothed over her pale skin evenly. He put a hesitant hand over her spine, hovering over the gleaming expanse of flesh.

_She's beautiful underneath that armour_, he thought, and then froze. What? Since when did he—

"Do it before I burn you." Azula interrupted irritably.

Batting aside any inappropriate thoughts, he placed his hands on her and started kneading carefully, systematically. His hands, powerful and slightly calloused from using his sword, glided across her back. He smoothed the oil over her toned muscles, eyes wide with wonder. _Not even Suki's body was this gorgeous—dammit, Sokka_, he chastised himself. _Focus_.

His hands dipped at the curve of her waist, coming to a rest dangerous close to her buttocks. He slid down to her sides and gripped carefully, working the tense muscles and loosening them bit by bit. He reached her shoulders again and squeezed her knotted deltoids.

Azula moaned at the sensation.

"Mmm…continue." She ordered. Sokka obeyed and worked his magic on her body until she was putty in his hands, sighing with pleasure.

He kept on kneading her shoulders until she raised herself from her prone position. He gasped involuntarily, taking in her firm, round breasts and flat abdomen. She smirked.

"You've done very well." She purred. She stood, letting the cover fall off her, exposing her _completely nude oh my god Sokka don't look don't look—_

"Like what you see?" Azula laughed. "Come, follow." She started walking deeper into the palace, towards another set of doors.

Sokka debated on whether to follow him or just take his chance right now. His brain and rational thoughts screamed _attack NOW!_ His growing erection, though, told him _screw that follow her—not everyday you get to do the princess of the Fire Nation._

"Am I not attractive enough?" Her voice reached his ears again, and he looked up, face red.

"N-no—I mean, y-yes, you are." He spluttered. She rolled her eyes and opened the door, walking in.

"Then you should come in."

He debated it for a second in his head.

_Just go for it, Sokka._

He bit back a sigh. He was _so_ going to regret this. He scurried into the room after her.

"I don't usually like to be dominated, but…surprise me." Azula was on the bed, smirking at him with half-lidded eyes, laid out in a provocative position.

"Your wish is my command, princess." The words slipped out of his mouth like flowing water, and before he knew it, he stripped and was on top of her in a flash.

"Do your worst." She challenged. Sokka furrowed his eyebrows. "Do it." She hissed, nails digging into his biceps.

_Go for it, Sokka_, a part of his mind urged excitedly.

_Well, fuck it_.

He lowered his lips to the column of her neck, breathing over it hesitantly, before putting them on her and kissing all the way down to the hollow of her throat. He nibbled her collarbone for a bit before descending to her breasts, caressing and massaging them, coaxing throaty groans from the firebender. He captured a nipple in his mouth, swirling his tongue around it experimentally, and even biting it lightly. Azula's hands tightened on his arms, and he heard her gasp breathlessly.

"Good Agni—" He heard, and he grinned, giving her other nipple the same treatment. Hands fisted in his untied hair, and a breathy moan escaped her lips.

"More." She whispered, and he complied, hands roaming over her abdomen before pushing her legs apart gently. He held her thighs and pressed his tongue against her entrance. He was astounded to feel how hot and wet she was.

"In, now." She said. It seemed like the princess wasn't one for foreplay. Sokka raised himself and got into position, surprised at how hard and ready he was. _I can't believe she has such a big effect on me_, he thought.

He started when hands pushed on his buttocks, driving him in. He groaned when she swallowed him up completely. He fit snugly, and she looked at him, her golden eyes molten and dark. A coy smile played around her lips, and he leaned down slowly, hypnotised by the perfect red shade, and how they parted like rosebuds when blooming. She met him halfway, and they shared a soft kiss, surprising both parties. After the kiss, it was like a dam broke inside of Sokka, allowing him to finally start moving his hips.

"Mmm." Azula moaned at the friction, and Sokka's head spun at the heat. He increased the pace, wanting more, like it was a drug or something.

"Faster." She demanded, and he increased his pace.

_Spirits, the _noises_ this girl makes!_ Sokka thought absently. The pleasure built up steadily until it was near breaking point. He, however, was determined to draw screams from Azula before he could come. He held himself back, thrusting rhythmically and feeling her tighten around him.

She screamed when she finally came, and Sokka could've sworn the whole palace heard her as he brought her higher…higher…higher—and let her crash. Her body shuddered uncontrollably and she kissed him, hard, to drown out her whimpers and moans.

He grunted, giving a few erratic thrusts, the feeling of her squeezing him driving him to the edge. With a shout, he came inside of her and exhaled heavily as he emptied himself, collapsing on her, but careful not to crush her with his weight.

When he rolled off her to the side, exhausted, she crawled closer to him and cupped his face.

"Not bad, Sokka." She smirked, kissing his lips.

"You too, Azula." He murmured, before realising what she just said. "Wait, what!?" His eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. She laughed.

"You might want to tell your make-up artists to use waterproof stuff next time." She showed him her hand, which was coated with powders. "Sweat, see?" She wiped another part of his make-up off.

Sokka looked at her, deathly afraid.

"Relax." She eyed him, cooing. "I might just keep you and let my father deal with your friends." She snuggled up to him. "You have nice hands." She said drowsily. "And don't you dare run away." She put an arm over his chest and dozed off. Sokka lay still, eyes wide open and mind screaming at him, trying to find a way out of this, but he came up blank.

_Fuck. How am I ever going to explain this one?_


	4. Beach

Sokkla Week Day 4: Beach

"Where's Zuko?" Sokka asked, flipping around on the sand to lie on his stomach. He looked at Katara frolicking with Aang in the water with waterbending.

"He's inside with Azula sorting out something." Ty Lee chirped, doing handstands and walking around in them. Sokka sighed.

"It's boring. I need someone to talk to. Toph's spirits-know-where, those two are giving me the oogies," Sokka nodded at Aang and Katara, "and Mai isn't exactly the most sociable of people."

As if to prove his point, Mai totally ignored him.

At that moment, Zuko walked out of the beach house, dressed in nothing but swimming trunks. Mai looked decidedly redder as she stood. Ty Lee giggled and cartwheeled off into the water, but not before giving Sokka a rare smirk.

Sokka was completely clueless as usual, shaking his head. _Strange girl, that one_, he thought.

Zuko went to stand next to Mai, putting his arms around her and giving her a soft kiss. Sokka looked away uncomfortably, and Zuko smirked at him.

"Geez, Sokka, get yourself a girl already." He said, rolling his eyes. "There are plenty of them on the beach…not that I'd know." He added hastily, looking at Mai, who was half-glaring at him. She smirked at that comment. "Gotta please the lady, see?" Zuko said, putting an arm around Mai's waist and waltzing off, charming the usually stoic girl with a lopsided grin on his face.

"Since when did Zuko become…so…suave…?" Sokka muttered.

"You tell me."

"Yeah, he used to be-…to…be…" Sokka's jaw hung loose. "Uh, hi!" He squeaked.

Azula was wearing dark red bikinis—her top was strapless, and hugged the curve of her breasts perfectly, the smooth material wrapping around her chest a few times, tightly, but loose enough to show her impressive cleavage. Her bottom piece was skimpy, and barely covered her round ass cheeks.

Sokka's eyes drifted to her toned torso and then down to her pale, long, svelte legs. His eyes shot up, feeling something creep down his spine, and to his horror, he met her amused gaze.

"Is there a problem?" She plopped down on the sand next to him. A thin golden film covered her skin, and Sokka gulped. Her smirk gave everything away, even though she was acting all nonchalant.

"N-no." He said.

"You sound uncertain." She leaned back and gave him a look. He started to sweat, and not because of the heat (although it was quite hot). The position she was in pushed her chest out, and Sokka was having a hard time looking away from it.

He purposefully wrenched his eyes away and looked out to the ocean, where Katara was surfing using an ice board. He whistled innocently, until Azula walked into his eyesight again. His eyes bugged out when he saw her wade into the ocean.

_That she-demon was going to get wet? _Sokka groaned internally.

Azula looked back at him, as if knowing what he was thinking, and he looked on, fascinated by the way she seemed to float through the water. It looked like there was no resistance, but Sokka was a thousand percent positive that she wasn't a waterbender.

Azula's head went under, and after a few seconds she re-emerged, flipping her long hair back, spraying water everywhere. It took Sokka a few seconds to notice that her hair was now untied, and that it reached the middle of her back.

It took him another few seconds to realise that he had a raging problem.

"_Fuck_." He cursed, standing up carefully. He readjusted his trunks and turned to face the other way. There would be a lot of questions if he just suddenly disappeared into the house like that.

"What to do, what to do…" He muttered.

"What to do about what?" A sly voice sounded from behind him. He froze, and turned his head ever so slightly, picking up the image of a dripping wet Azula from the corner of his eyes.

"Nothing." His voice was still an octave higher than he would've liked.

She walked around to face him, and with one cursory sweep, she picked up his little problem.

"You know…" She flicked a strand of her wet hair out of her face. "I could take care of that problem for you." She said sultrily. Sokka's mind forgot how to work for a moment, and he started to hyperventilate. A hand cupped his face.

"Breathe, lover boy." Azula snickered. Sokka gradually calmed down. "So? Are you going to be taking me up on that offer?" She asked. Sokka glanced back. Nobody seemed to be giving them a second look, not even Zuko, who was (thankfully) busy smooching Mai.

"Yes." He said in a hushed voice. Azula grinned and turned, walking back to the house, swinging her hips. Sokka licked his lips unconsciously and scuttled after her.

_Meanwhile…_

"Hey, where's Snoozles and Princess Hotpants?" Toph asked as she walked closer to the water, slamming a foot on the rather compact sand.

Mai looked at the house knowingly.

"Um…" Aang scratched his head.

Zuko and Katara shared an apprehensive look.

Ty Lee burst out giggling.

There was a pause.

"They did _not_." Zuko said in a strangled hiss, sounding like a tortured cat.

Katara fainted into Aang's arms.

"They _so_ did!" Toph cackled. "Oh, this is going down in _history_!"


	5. Dream

Sokkla Week Day 5: Dream

"What should we do, princess?" The Dai Li agent asked her. Azula gritted her teeth. "Wipe his memories." She shook her head. "Brainwash him and _make sure he stays brainwashed_." She snarled.

"Yes princess." The agent bowed.

"I'll be there in five." She stood.

Five minutes later she stood in front of a bound man with furious and sad blue eyes looking up at her. The lamp ran across in its circuit slowly, while her agents stood at the ready.

"Why?" He uttered. Azula remained silent. _Because I love you too much to get you killed with me._

"Initiate." The word was clipped, cold, and she retreated to watch.

The process started.

Sokka sat there and gave Azula one last look.

She looked away, a strange noise escaping her throat. She could deal with any emotion. _Any_, except for what he showed her now.

_Acceptance_. He _understood_ why she was doing this, and submitted himself to it.

"You want to kill Princess Azula for what she did to you." The lead agent started monotonously. He started to repeat the phrase.

"I love you." Sokka whispered. "I love you, and I'm sorry you have to do this." He raised his voice. "I love you…and I'll never forget, because you are a part of me. Deep inside, I will always remember you, Azula." Her name rolled from his tongue tenderly, and Azula felt a burning in her eyes.

"You want to kill Princess Azula for what she did to you."

Sokka started to think of the time they spent together after she had captured him.

"_Try to understand that this isn't personal." Azula gave him a smirk. "It's just for bringing my brother down. You're a player, and so am I. I'm merely using you to get to the King."_

"_And his disciples." Sokka muttered. "I really do understand why you're doing this." He said grimly. "Zuko's become corrupt. He, along with Katara…they're forcing an era of peace on the world. How can you _force_ peace?" He asked rhetorically._

"_And your friend, the Avatar?" Azula asked, surprised at his willingness to accept her plan._

"_He's…staying out of it."_

"_In other words, giving them free reign." Azula said disgustedly. "All for some high and mighty monk morals."_

_Sokka shrugged. "So why am I really here?"_

"_I need a bargaining chip, as I said." Azula shrugged. "Hopefully your sister will care enough about you to trade you for something."_

"You want to kill Princess Azula for what she did to you."

_The door to his cell creaked open._

"_Hey." Sokka said, looking up from the floor. She sat down next to him, nearly giving him a heart attack. "Gee, princess, lowering yourself to a peasant's standards?" He smirked. Azula rolled her eyes._

"_I just came back from a meeting with the Order of the White Lotus." She said, gauging his reaction. He raised an eyebrow._

"_Is that supposed to mean anything to me?"_

"_Does Piandao mean anything to you?"_

_Sokka paused. "Okay, fine, you got me. But I thought that was led by your uncle."_

"_Precisely. Iroh never thought that someone with 'such a pure heart and unquestionable honour' could ever become so corrupt." She sneered._

"_Everyone thought he was going to be a good Fire Lord." Sokka said, sighing. "Even you did." He prodded. Azula nodded._

"_I admit that." She said. "A part of me was content because I thought Zuko would lead our nation to greatness. But now…it's torn in half. The lower class is getting all the benefits, while the upper class is stripped of everything they have to sustain the low class. I'm surprised there hasn't been a civil war yet."_

"_There have been many assassination attempts, though." Sokka added. "I was there for most of them. They're reckless."_

"_They have a right to be." Azula said._

"_Most of them have tried to assassinate Katara first." Sokka said casually._

"_I bet Zuko loved that."_

"_She took care of them. Using bloodbending, an ability she swore never to use again." Sokka muttered._

"_Speaks volumes about your sister, doesn't it?"_

"_And your brother." Sokka countered._

"_Please, I never had any delusions of my brother. Not after he organised all of those public executions."_

"You want to kill Princess Azula for what she did to you."

Azula could see his eyes trailing after the only bright thing that was in the room. She half wanted to cry out for them to stop, but she refrained from doing so, and just watched silently.

"_What's this?" Sokka asked in surprise as he was escorted into a well-furnished room._

"_Your new room." Azula informed him, sitting on the bed._

"_Why?"_

"_Learn to appreciate gestures of good faith." Azula rolled her eyes. "Don't question it."_

"You want to kill Princess Azula for what she did to you."

"_Thank you."_

Sokka could make out a slim silhouette through the blinding glare of the revolving light. Was that Azula? Didn't he hate her? What was she doing here?

_NO, you don't hate her! You love her, idiot!_

"You want to kill Princess Azula for what she did to you."

Yes…kill…Azula…hate her…Sokka sunk back into a stupor.

"_How are you doing?" Azula asked, entering his room. He yelped._

"_Changing!" He said in a shrill little voice. Azula laughed when she saw his naked upper torso._

"_The years have been kind to you." She remarked. He blushed, quickly putting a shirt on and tying the sash._

"_Y-you too." He stuttered. She chuckled, a slight hint of pink dusting her cheeks._

"_So…a few days ago I received news from my dear brother…wrapped up in a nice little envelope. His calligraphy hasn't improved over the years." She dangled a letter in front of him. He scanned it quickly._

"_They want me back." He said, not sure whether to feel elated or not._

"_Indeed." She watched him. He looked at her._

"_What did you send back?"_

"_I don't know…how much are you worth?" She asked coyly._

"_Just tell me." He growled._

"_Well, in exchange for you I asked for another Agni Kai for the throne." She said. "I thought you were important to them." She shook her head, producing another letter. Sokka snatched it out of her hand. He let it flutter to the ground after he read it._

"_I'm _not worth it_?" He asked, aghast. He picked the letter up and examined it. "This…this is _Katara's_ writing!" He exclaimed, horrified._

"_It seems like your sister's really changed." Azula said quietly._

"_It seems so." Sokka's gaze hardened. "Don't trade me." He said. He didn't know whether it was said out of resent of his sister or something else…_

_Azula raised an eyebrow. "You're willing to stay in captivity?"_

"_Is this what you call captivity?" Sokka looked around at the spacious room. _

_Azula smiled._

"You want to kill Princess Azula for what she did to you."

_Emboldened by her blush and smile, he leaned forward and kissed her gently, finally feeling her soft lips on his._

Who…?

"_I love you, Azula." He said, kissing her forehead gently and making her flush a nice shade of red._

"You want to kill Princess Azula for what she did to you."

I want to kill her.

_He caressed her face._

"I want to kill Princess Azula." He muttered.

Azula gripped the edge of her desk, teeth gnashing. It hurt so bad to hear that finally spilling out of his lips.

"_I love yo—"_

"You want to kill Princess Azula for what she did to you."

"I hate Princess Azula." He mumbled.

"_I love—"_

Azula squeezed her eyes shut and searched his eyes. Hatred simmered beneath dulled irises. She could feel her chest tightening.

"You want to kill Princess Azula for what she did to you."

"I want to kill Princess Azula for what she did to me." Sokka jerked up, eyes clearing. "YOU!" He spat at her.

"_I—"_

"I HATE YOU!" He roared, thrashing.

"It is done, Princess." The Dai Li agent bowed.

Azula bowed her head.

"Release him." She choked out.

"As you wish."

When Sokka arrived back in the Fire Nation palace, he took one look at Zuko at the dinner table and said, "I fucking _hate_ your sister for what she did to me." He snarled. Zuko dipped his head, acknowledging his statement and agreeing with it. Katara sent Sokka off to bed with a few words, and Sokka did not protest. He stumbled onto the bed in the room he was given and fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

"_I wish you could stay with me forever." The girl with the black hair and fair skin said._

"_If that is what you wish, princess, then I will do everything I can to fulfil it." Sokka smiled teasingly._

"_I love you Sokka." Her voice echoed slightly. Beautiful golden eyes filled with love watched him, and he felt like drowning in them forever._

"_I love you too." He sealed it with a passionate kiss._

He woke with a gasp and rubbed his head. Who was that girl he was with? She was beautiful…with pale skin, large golden eyes, gleaming ebony hair, and vivid red lips…

He shook his head slightly. Just a good dream. That's it.

_But damn was that a beautiful girl._

He couldn't shake off the feeling that he knew her from somewhere, but then he just scoffed at himself. As if he could snag a girl that beautiful.

_I will always remember you, Azula, _his own voice echoed in his head.

"But I hate her." He said out loud.

_Don't I?_


	6. Water

Sokkla Week Day 6: Water

"Agni, it's cold up here." Zuko shivered.

"_No_…" Azula mocked. "It's not the North Pole or anything." She rolled her eyes. Zuko glared at her.

"Children. Behave." Fire Lord Ozai glanced at his offspring. Ursa chuckled slightly.

"Perhaps when we get into that meeting with Chief Hakoda and Chief Arnook the children can go off and chat with the Prince and Princesses." She said. Ozai nodded.

"That would be the best, although a formal introduction is required before anything else." Ozai said. They were escorted into the amazing ice-sculpted palace, where they saw the two chiefs, their wives, and their children sitting on thrones of ice and fur.

"Ah…Fire Lord Ozai!" One of the chiefs stood. "Welcome." He descended the stairs, followed closely by the other chief. "I am Chief Arnook and this is Chief Hakoda." He said, shaking Ozai's hand, and kissing Ursa's.

"It's good to meet the man who finally ended his father's tyrannical reign." Hakoda said, also shaking Ozai's hand. He simply bowed at Ursa, and the Fire Lady bowed back, smiling.

"And who are these handsome children of yours?" Arnook asked merrily. Ozai dipped his head.

"I am Crown Prince Zuko, Chief Arnook, Chief Hakoda. It is an honour to meet you both." Zuko bowed deeply. Both chiefs nodded cordially.

"Indeed, Prince Zuko." Hakoda smiled. "I do believe you and my son Sokka would get along well."

The only boy aside from Zuko in the room met the Crown Prince's eyes. He smiled in a friendly way, and Zuko nodded.

"And this is…" Arnook asked, looking at Azula.

"Princess Azula, esteemed chiefs Arnook and Hakoda." Azula said smoothly, bowing gracefully. Arnook and Hakoda shared a look of surprise.

"Why, we have heard that you have mastered the blue flame." Hakoda said. "It is hard to believe…one so young…"

Azula merely smiled. "I have heard about the prowess of your daughter Katara, Chief Hakoda. Visitors from your tribe regale us with the tale of the time she bested master waterbender Pakku and…forced him to teach her." She looked at the dark-haired girl on her throne, and Katara grinned, deciding that she rather liked Azula.

"Yes." Hakoda said proudly. "Why don't you two get acquainted outside?" He asked.

That was the children's cues. Sokka hopped down from his throne, Yue stood, and Katara was already walking down.

"Have fun!" Hakoda's wife Kya smiled gently.

"We will mom!" Katara promised.

"Yeah…" Sokka's eyes strayed to the beautiful, striking princess of the Fire Nation.

As the five teenagers walked out of the palace, an awkward silence settled between them.

"So…" Sokka broke it.

"So…" Zuko followed up just as awkwardly.

"Pardon my brother, he has no social skills at all." Azula smirked. Katara laughed, and Yue put a hand to her mouth, hiding her own smirk.

"I don't think my brother has any either." Katara commented.

"Hey!" Both boys protested. Katara smiled at Sokka, but caught Zuko's eyes instead, and she blushed, looking away. Yue, noticing this, smiled.

"You know what, I think I'll go look for my betrothed…he mentioned something about a date…" She winked at Katara and slipped off.

"Bye!" Sokka called cheerfully. "Have fun with Hahn!" He snickered. Azula looked at him curiously, and they met each other's eyes. Sokka blushed, but maintained eye contact with the seriously beautiful foreigner. Azula broke away first, surprising herself. Her cheeks were unnaturally warm.

"So tell me more about yourself." Katara's curious voice drifted into their ears. Azula saw the water tribe princess and her brother walking further off. There was an awkward feeling to Zuzu's steps, and Azula _knew_.

"And so a blossoming romance…right in front of my eyes." She muttered. "Spare me." She turned away. Sokka chuckled.

"You always so caustic?" He asked.

"Only on weekends." Azula smiled. Sokka laughed.

"Well what do you know, it's Saturday." He replied.

They were taking a stroll along the bank of the many little streams that ran through the Northern Tribe, when Sokka's eyes caught the golden flame headpiece Azula was wearing that stood out in her new blue and furry attire.

"How is it like in the Fire Nation?" Sokka asked out of the blue. Azula didn't seem fazed by the sudden and random question.

"A lot warmer than this, definitely." She said. "The food is different, of course." She glanced at a food stand nearby. "The clothing's mostly red, black, and gold…people have paler skin, like me, and most of the upper class have golden eyes…again like me."

As she said this, Sokka's eyes roamed over her high cheekbones, fair skin, and came to a rest on her long lashes, big eyes, and irises the colour of molten gold.

"What, don't believe me? Is that why you're blatantly checking me out?" Azula teased, fighting another blush.

"And are they all as beautiful as you, those nobles' daughters?" Sokka asked, entranced. This time, Azula couldn't quite keep her face its usual colour. Sokka smiled, thinking that the blush only made the princess look even more radiant. "I'm not just flirting. It's the truth." He added hastily.

Azula looked away, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"Aww, come on, smile already!" Sokka skipped in front of her, making silly faces. Azula kept a straight face through all of that, and Sokka sighed.

Then he brightened up. Taking furtive looks around he took off his mittens and stuffed them into his pockets. He gathered some snow into his hand and made it into a heart shape, then froze it into pure ice. He handed it to Azula with a proud grin. Azula looked at it with wonder.

"I never heard you were a waterbender." She said, marvelling at the beautiful little ice sculpture.

"Yeah, uh, I like to keep it to myself. I'm not one for publicity, really." Sokka scratched his head. "I mean, not even my family knows…" He said in a low voice.

"Why don't you want to tell them? Bending is an amazing ability to have." She said.

"I want to prove to my father that bending is not everything." He retorted. "I can become just as strong with a boomerang and a sword. I won't rely on my bending to do things for me, like my sister." He said it in an angry tone.

"Is there…" Azula hesitated.

"She is valued more than me." Sokka sighed, unclenching his fists. "Just because she can _bend_. _I'm_ the first-born. _I'm_ going to be the man of the house when I grow up." His shoulders sagged. "But it seems like I wasn't built for this kind of thing, you know? Katara surpasses me in everything I do. She resents me for not letting her go with me on hunting trips, but I know if I did, she would just use her waterbending and leave me with nothing to do." He muttered.

"But from what I just saw…" Azula held up the ice crystal, which still hasn't melted, and said, "you're a great bender. When do you practise if nobody can know?"

"I…" Sokka paused. "I'll show you if you want." He said nervously. Azula's eyes lit up.

"_Really_?" She exclaimed, forgetting herself for a moment. Sokka smiled widely.

"Yeah!"

For a moment, the two of them looked like excited children, their eyes shining as they looked at each other.

"Come on!" Sokka took Azula's hand. The latter blushed, but Sokka was too excited to notice, finally having somebody to share this huge secret with. He dragged her through the streets and into the outer regions of the city. They finally arrived at a gate, and the guards stopped them.

"Prince Sokka." One of them greeted.

"I'm bringing Princess Azula out on a hunting trip." Sokka said.

"But, my prince, you don't have any hunting gear." The guard said suspiciously. Sokka whipped out his trusty boomerang and cocked an eyebrow.

"I'm not useless, you know." Azula informed the guard, who blushed at his blunder.

"Of course. Just keep safe." He said.

"As always." Sokka said. "Thanks!" He called, already taking Azula further out into the frozen tundra. After a while Sokka stopped at a huge overhang.

"Hold on to me." He said.

"W-what?" Azula was taken aback by the strange request.

"Trust me, I have to get down there to show you." He said. He offered her a hand, which she took tentatively. He hoisted her up into his arms bridal style, and she gave a little yelp of fright. He laughed, jumping off the edge of the ice. Azula screamed this time. He just kept on laughing, ice encasing his leather boots as he skied down the slope, coming to a halt at the very bottom. He let Azula down, and she punched him in the arm weakly, still shaken by the ordeal.

"What the _hell_?" She demanded.

"This is the place where I practice my waterbending." Sokka raised his hands, and an ice dome rose above them.

"Wow…you're pretty good already. For how long have you been doing this?" Azula asked.

"For five years." Sokka shrugged. "I'm seventeen now…when I turned twelve I was allowed to come out and hunt, and that's when I practised in secret." He shrugged.

"So you come out here every day?" Azula asked.

"Yeah…it's the only way I can improve."

"That must be hard…I can't imagine having to practise my bending in secret."

"Speaking of which…can I please see your fire?" Sokka asked, eyes gleaming. "Rumour says it's blue, right?"

Azula smiled proudly. "Yes, it's really pretty." She looked at him for a second. "Kind of like your eyes." She said shyly. Sokka smiled broadly as she took her mittens off and cupped a precious, flickering flame in her hand. Sokka's lips parted and his eyes widened.

"It's _beautiful_." He said. "That's amazing! You're a brilliant bender, Azula!" He complimented. Azula blushed.

"Th-thank you." She smiled, and for the rest of their trip they showed each other their moves and learnt techniques from each other that they hoped to integrate into their own bending style.

When they returned to the tribe, flushed and out of breath, everyone looked at them expectantly. Sokka held his hands up.

"Sorry, no catch today." He said. Azula wanted to laugh at his innocent expression, but held herself in, the corners of her lips twitching.

"Well, you can't have everything." Hakoda said mysteriously, taking note of his son's unusually bright expression.

Sokka sat and Azula sat next to him. The dinner table fell into casual conversation again. Azula couldn't help but to notice that Katara and Zuko were sitting really close, and she nudged Sokka's foot under the table, grinning at her brother and Sokka's sister. Sokka saw this and smirked, exchanging a look with his new friend.

"You think we can tease the hell out of them?" He asked in a low voice.

"You bet." Azula smirked at Zuko.

Meanwhile, Zuko and Katara were eyeing their siblings too.

"Azula seems to have taken a liking to your brother." Zuko murmured.

"Is that a good or bad thing?"

"I can't say." Zuko chuckled and looked up again only to meet Azula's smirk. He froze.

Azula froze.

An awkward understanding passed between the fire siblings, and they both looked away, blushing.

"Oh, and…uh…I would really appreciate it if you could keep my bending a secret." Sokka said to Azula quietly.

"Of course." Azula nodded. "Our secret, then?"

"Yeah…our secret." Sokka smiled, making her blush again. His hand moved to cover hers on the bench, and she started. Then she relaxed, smiling happily.

Meanwhile, Ozai exchanged a glance with Hakoda, not ignorant of the exchanges that went on between both pairs of siblings. Hakoda leaned over to the Fire Lord.

"Perhaps arrangements can be made." He muttered.

"Yes…perhaps…I think we'll be staying for longer if you don't mind, chief Hakoda."

"It would be our honour."


End file.
